His Memories Of Luke Fill The Old Park

The time has come to begin saying goodbye to old Comiskey Park, which is what Dario Lodigiani has been doing this weekend. ``Lots of memories,``

Lodigiani said Saturday as he watched the White Sox during batting practice.

``I`ve been coming out early.``

Lodigiani was in the last row of the lower box-seat section, a few feet to the third-base side of home plate. Dozens of fans, hurrying for autographs, went to the rail, unaware they were passing White Sox royalty.

Lodigiani played with the Sox in the early 1940s, a stocky, rock-hard third baseman. When he didn`t field the ball cleanly, he blocked it with his chest. At 74, he still has the barrel chest, also a healthy reddish glow. He was wearing gray slacks and a dark sports jacket that covered a blue T-shirt decorated with the Sox emblem.

``Larry invited me back,`` he said, referring to Sox General Manager Larry Himes. ``When I saw him in Oakland, he asked if I wanted to see the old park before they tore it down. I said, `Fine, that`d be fine.` ``

Lodigiani`s last year as a player was in 1954 when he was the player-manger for the Ventura-Santa Barbara club in the California State League. Later, he coached two years for Charlie Finley`s Kansas City A`s. This is his 36th season as a White Sox scout.

His territory is northern California, Oregon, Washington, western Montana and western Utah. Mostly, he watches amateur free agents, high school and college players. He lives in Napa, Calif., in the wine country. Asked if he is a wine connoisseur, Lodigiani laughed and said, ``Oh, no, but once in a while I drink it.``

Drinking in the scene before him, he began talking about his many Sox teammates and particularly shortstop Luke Appling, perhaps the best all-around player in White Sox history.

``but Luke was a strong shortstop. He was a great shortstop when he had to make the big play. But what made him such an outstanding player is he was such a great hitter.``

Like Guillen, Appling was hyper.

``Luke would sing in the field,`` Lodigiani recalled. ``He was always singing something. The song he sang the most was `You Are My Sunshine.` ``

Amused by the recollection, Lodigiani belted out the first few bars of

`You Are My Sunshine.` Then he said of Appling, ``And when he wasn`t singing, he was humming.`` Again in tribute, Lodigiani offered an imitation:

``Hhhhmmmmmmm.``

Appling had two nicknames, ``Old Aches and Pains,`` which the sports writers used, and ``Libby.`` The ballplayers called him Libby-for Libby Holman, a famous jazz singer of the time.

``Libby sang the blues, and so did Luke,`` Lodigiani recalled. ``Luke was always complaining. He was hurt here; he was hurt there.

``One day Luke and Skeeter Webb-he was our second baseman-were wrestling around in the clubhouse, kidding one another. And (manager) Jimmie Dykes said, `Luke, what`s wrong with you today? What aches and pains do you have?`

``Luke said nothing was wrong, he was feeling great.``

``And Dykes said, `Luke, any time you feel good, you won`t help the club. You`re not playing today.`

``Luke may not have started the game day that day, but I`m sure he finished. I`m sure he went in in the fourth or fifth inning.``

According to Lodigiani. Appling was always a student of hitting. It is not surprising that even today, at the age of 81, Appling still is teaching hitting as the roving minor-league batting instructor for the Atlanta Braves. Appling twice won the American League batting championship-in 1936 when he hit .388, still the White Sox record (seven more hits and he would have batted .401), and again in 1943 when he hit .328.

Nonetheless, Appling is best remembered for his ability to hit foul balls. A right-handed batter, he was an opposite-field hitter. Once, according to the reports of the day, he fouled off 13 consecutive pitches.

Lodigiani recalled the spring of 1941 when Appling held out for more money:

``Luke was asking for $20,000, and all they would offer was $17,500. Luke really screamed; he wanted the 20 grand. The club won. He held out for two, maybe three weeks and then signed for $17,500.

``When he reported to spring training, Luke told us, `I`ll make it cost

`em. I`ll just keep fouling those balls in the stands.`

``Bob Kennedy was with the Sox then, a young ballplayer. And Kennedy began counting Luke`s foul balls. From spring training until about two weeks into the season, Luke already had hit more than 400 foul balls-balls that went into the seats. Finally, Dykes told him to cut it out.``

It was time for dinner. Lodigiani was Himes` guest in the Bards Room, which is reserved for visiting dignitaries.

``This is a good ballpark,`` Lodigiani said. ``Fair park, good for the pitchers, good for the hitters. And a good view for the fans. I have a lot of wonderful memories here. But then, too, the one across the street looks like it`s going to be a beautiful park.``